GEE007 MID-TERM REVIEWER automatically attach social and cultural
Lesson 1 – Sex, Gender, Sexuality meanings to their child's sex and in doing so,
DEFINITION OF TERMS
SEX – the biological aspects of sex; maleness or
femaleness
GENDER – the social interpretation of sex;
masculinity, femininity, etc.
SEXUALITY – the totality of our own experience of
our sex and gender
SEX CHROMOSOMES – chromosomal markets
that distinguish females (XX) from male (XY) species
INTERSEX – individuals with composite genitals
(possessing some characteristics of both male and
female.
INTRODUCTION
What does it mean to be a male or a female, to be
feminine or masculine, or to be man or woman? The
human mind and body are so complex such that to
answer this question, we have to trace our journey
from the moment we were born, and go back to the
journey we humans have across the life span. First
thing you need to understand is the complexities of
defining and differentiating sex, gender, and sexuality.
Having a clear grasp of these concepts is crucial since
we will be using these terms over and over again in
succeeding discussions. Likewise, there are nuances in
the meanings of these terms, which have an
implication on at which context we can appropriately
use them. Moreover, as we start our discussion of
gender and sexuality as social realities, we also want to
understand how a person's gender is expressed from
birth to adulthood. Our ultimate goal is to foster
understanding of the diversity of how humans
experience and express their sexuality.
SEX
- Sex is the biological dimension of your gender and
sexuality. Also referred to as biological sex or physical
sex, the term generally pertains to your identity
depending on your sexual anatomy and.
- Sex is typically determined by examining your
genitals these are external organs that are associated
with reproduction- (the process or the ability to create
offspring.)
- A child observed to have penis and testicles, then the
child is categorized as male. If on the other hand, a child is
observed to have a vagina, then the child is categorized as
female.
- Hermaphroditism/Intersexuality - (came from Hermes,
a male Greek God, and Aphrodite, a female Greek goddess).
- For instance, your chromosomes (also used to
determine sex.) There are specific chromosomes
referred to as sex chromosomes, which marks a
person's biological sex. An individual with a set of
XY sex chromosomes is said to be a male, while an
individual with a set of XX sex chromosomes is said
to be a female. For example, human males tend to
have higher levels of testosterone, which is
associated to sex drive and aggressions. On the other
hand, human females tend to have higher levels of
estrogen and progesterone, which are associated to
lactation, menstruation, and other female reproductive
functions.
GENDER
- However, humans are meaning-making
organisms. Our ability for higher order
thinking and our tendency to create social
norms, allow us to attach social and cultural
meanings to things, including our sex. For
example, males are typically expected be
masculine and females are expected to be
feminine. Once parents are aware of their child's
sex (male or female) during birth or through
prenatal procedures such as ultrasound, they
they already set an expectation in terms of how
their child should behave and how they should
treat their child. This social dimension of one's
sexuality is referred to as gender.
- There are many ways through which gender is
manifested. As soon as a new baby arrives in the
family, adults surrounding the baby manifests
their social interpretation of the baby's sex by
the colors assigned to the baby. For example, it
is common for families to buy blue apparels and
toys when the baby is a male, as the color blue
is associated with boyhood. Conversely,
female babies are often assigned the color
pink, such that families would buy clothes and
toys that are color pink because the color is
associated with girlhood. Remarkably, the
moment a baby is born, the name, toys, and
apparels are picked by parents and relatives
based on their interpretation of the baby's sex.
GENDER IDENTITY
- One important aspect of our gender is our sense
of who we are: Do we see and experience
ourselves as a man, a woman, or neither. This
refers to our gender identity. Typically, males
are comfortable identifying as a man and
females are comfortable identifying as a
woman.
- However, there are cases wherein a person's
biological sex does not align with one's gender
identity. People with this experience are referred
to as transgender, such as a male who does
not feel comfortable identifying as a man
(transgender woman) or a female who is not
comfortable identifying as a woman
(transgender man). Transgender people may
undergo gender reassignment surgery to align
their physical characteristics to their gender
Identity. However, due to many factors such as
belief systems, culture, and economics, some do
not opt for surgery.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
- Another aspect of our gender pertains to our
emotional and sexual attraction to a person.
This aspect refers to our sexual orientation.
According to the Psychological Association of
the Philippines, typically at ages 6 or 8, we
experience or develop attraction to other people.
By adolescence, we already know who we are
attracted to and would experiment through
dating and relationships.
- Everyone's sexuality is different and deeply
personal. Our capacity for emotional and sexual
attraction is diverse and complex, but there are
a few common terms or labels for us to use.
- People who are attracted to the opposite sex are
called heterosexuals' or "straight. “
- People who are attracted to people of the same
sex are called "homosexual," "gay" or “lesbian.
“
- "Bisexual" or "bi" people are attracted to both
sexes, male or female.
- LGBT refers to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender community.
APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
- According to the American Psychological
Association (APA), nature and nurture play a
complex role in shaping our sexual orientation.
Homosexuality and heterosexuality are part of
the human sexuality and is a large part of the
human experience.
- Identifying as a heterosexual, lesbian, bi, gay,
or transgender is a deeply personal process, so
it may be more difficult for others to 'come out'
or for them to become comfortable enough with
their sexuality that they feel safe to share it with
other people. For others, it comes early in
adolescence while for some, it may take time to
understand and discover themselves.
- According the Psychological Association of the
 Philippines, "we can only truly tell if the person
is gay, lesbian, or bisexual if the person shares
with us his or her experiences and feelings of
attraction towards them." That is why it is
important for everyone to feel safe as they share
their sexuality since it is a personal and
sensitive topic. We can do that in an
environment wherein we do not feel judged and
discriminated upon. People who experience
prejudice and discrimination suffer negative
psychological effects (APA), so we must work
towards an inclusive environment where
everyone feels safe.
SUMMARY
- The complexities of the human sexuality can be
quite overwhelming. We need to look at our
own experience on our journey of discovering
our sense of being a man and a woman for us to
understand others. We also need to engage in
conversations with others for us to appreciate
the many different faces of human sexuality.
- A baby is born and is given an assigned sex
based on its genitals. In toddler years, they are
raised to be a 'man' or a 'woman' based on
accepted social and cultural standards. We
know that these standards change through time,
what is not acceptable now may be acceptable
in the future.
- Adolescence is when we discover our emotional
and sexual attraction towards other people. For
most, it is easy to identify who they are
attracted to, but for others, it can be a long and
difficult process. Fostering an inclusive
environment wherein everyone feels safe is very
important at this stage.
LESSON 2 - GENDER AND SEXUALITY ACROSS
TIME
Patriarchy - Social system where men
primarily holds power in the
political and private spheres.
Feminism - Continuing series of social
movements that aim to challenge
the patriarchal society that creates
these oppressive political
structures, beliefs, and practices
against women.
INTRODUCTION
Society has progressed so much in a way that information and
knowledge is available to everyone. This gives us an
opportunity to examine our social and political conditions in
more detail than when information was scarce and limited to
only a few individuals.
Historical accounts show that across time, humans' conception
of gender and sexuality has also changed. Archeological
artifacts reveal that in the distant past, during the dawn of
civilizations, human societies have high regard for women.
The concept of the divine feminine (the sacredness of the
woman due to her ability to conceive children) has prevailed,
and thus, women are treated equally with men. This make
societies egalitarian (men and women have equitable power
and roles).
However, humans' discovery of paternity (fatherhood/ role of
the father in conception), presumably during the Agricultural
era, when societies began to establish communities and tame
rear cattle and stocks, have also changed how societies have
viewed women and men therefrom. For the longest time
thereafter, societies have privileged men over other genders,
mainly because of the preferential given to them in the
productive sphere (world of public work).
Women who have been revered due to their ability to conceive
have been viewed as solely capable only of reproductive
affairs (world of the home and related tasks such as suckling
the young, child rearing, and home management).
The gender disparity was intensified by the Industrial era
where factors were built and men were preferred because they
did not have to bear children for nine months and because of
their perceived physical strength. But how did really the
conceptualization of gender and sexuality change? This lesson
tackles movements in history which shows how men, women,
and people of other genders are viewed in human societies.
PATRIARCY - is from the Greek word
Patriarchs which means "the rule of the
father". It is a social system where men
primarily holds power in the political and
the private spheres.
- This means that in this social system, society is organized
and maintained in a way
that men rule over women and their children. In the social,
legal, political, and
economic spheres, men are expected to lead while women are
expected to obey
and are relegated to house chores, bearing children, and child
care.
- A patrilineal society often follows a patriarchal society, this
means only men can
inherit property and the family name. Women were left with
no inheritance and are
expected to marry a man who can support her economically.
In fact, women were
not allowed to go to schools, or even vote, because they are
viewed as a weaker
sex and should not concern themselves in learning science or
politics. Women had
to fight for the right to vote, to go to school, to go to work, and
even participate in
politics.
- Patriarchy is viewed by most sociologists as a social
construct and not as a biological phenomenon. This is because
history proves that in the prehistoric hunter-gatherer tribes and
civilization, they prioritized equality of all members, male and
female. History suggests an egalitarian system rather than a
patriarchal system. Men and women contribute to society, and
they enjoy the same social status.
Friedrich Engels - a German philosopher and sociologist,
argues that patriarchy came about when people started
having private property instead of a communal living.
The
development in agriculture and domestication of animals
led to creating product surplus which allows people to
have private property. As a way to control the excess
wealth generated by these
advancements, male dominance was asserted over
women so only the male heir can inherit family wealth.
GREEK Aristotle, Plato, and other, Greek philosophers
viewed women as the
inferior sex and are properties of men whose
only job was to obey their husbands, bear children,
and take care of the household. They were
forbidden to learn philosophy, politics, and
science.
EGYPT Herodotus, a Greek historian, observed the Egyptian
civilization citing that Egyptian women
enjoyed higher social status than Greek women because they
can inherit property and engage in trade and politics.
However, Greek
influence quickly spread in Egypt through the
conquests of Alexander the Great across Asia and
Africa.
CHINA Confucianism has stringent written rules
that dictate how women should conduct
themselves. The written documents titled "Three
obedience's and four virtues" and "Precepts of
women" states that women should obey their
father, when married she is to obey her husband,
and when widowed she is to obey her son.
OPRESSIONS DUE TO PATRIARCHY
RAPE - rape on women and the stigma
making women ashamed to report the crime;
CONSERVATIVE - very conservative
expectations on women on how they
behave;
DEPICTIONS - unrealistic depictions
of women in fiction, often very sexualized;
HOUSEHOLD - women do more
housework and childcare;
TRAINING - boys were trained to
be leaders while women were trained to do house
chores.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT - Women's liberation
movement, women's movement or feminism is a
continuing series of social movements
that aim to challenge the patriarchal
society that creates these oppressive
political structures, beliefs and practices
against women.
FEMINISM - During the 19th and early 20th century, first-
wave feminism spread across the western countries as women
demanded for their right to vote or participate in elections and
to be able to legally own property. In France, Simone de
Beauvoir wrote book titled "The Second Sex" in 1949. It
outlined how the patriarchal society disadvantaged women by
slowly raising her into submission and hindering their
productivity and happiness by relegating them to
housecleaning. This inspired many women to write and speak
their truths, such as Betty Friedan (The Feminine Mystique,
2963), Kate Millet (Sexual Politics, 1969), and Germaine
Greer (The Female Eunuch, 1970). SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR
- Beauvoir's book was instrumental in awakening women
about their plight as the "wife-servant" to their husbands in her
famous quote "one is not born, but rather
becomes, a woman".
FEMINISM - Le Mouvement de Liberation des Femmes or the
women's liberation movement was formed in Europe and they
sought the right to education, right to work, and right to vote
in the 1940s. Later, they also won women's right to decide on
their own bodies and their sexualities. This liberation
movement views the intersectionality of economic status or
class to patriarchy. Inspired by Beauvoir's book, second-wave
feminism in 1960's through the 80's, women drew attention to
various social and cultural inequalities such as domestic
violence especially marital rape, reproductive rights, wage
inequality, and etc. The 90's gave birth to the 3rd wave and
2012 started the forth wave. These movements only show that
there is still much to be done for women's rights.
- The United Nations reports that women do more work than
men because even when they work at the office, they are still
expected to do household tasks. Another report from UN
Women states that "women perform 66 percent of the world’s
work, produce 50 percent of the food, but earn 10 of the
income and own 1 percent of the property". This is because in
agricultural countries, women participate in making the
produce, but only the father or the male head of the family
controls the income.
 To put simply, feminism demands equality. Here are
a few salient points that feminism demands.
WOMEN SUFFRAGE - Women were not allowed to vote
before because they were viewed as irrational and
temperamental and therefore, not able to make rational
decisions. This changed after World War I (1914 to 1918)
wherein women were uprooted from the household. They took
on jobs and made significant contributions to their country.
Many countries soon started letting women vote since they can
no longer argue that women are "irrational and
temperamental".
EQUALITY IN POLITICS AND SOCIETY - For hundreds of
years, women's voices were silenced, so society must make an
effort to restore their rights. Representation is very important
for women, so that their genuine concerns are heard in politics
and in society. Feminist have always criticized that old,
privileged men always make the decisions for women at home
and in politics.
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS - means the woman is in control
of her body, and she can decide for herself on what she sees is
best for her. Contraception, abortion, and other reproductive
options should be available to women because it is their body.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - such as marital rape and physical
abuse are often dismissed by society as part of a "marriage".
Although we have RA 9262 or Anti Violence Against Women
and their Children, our culture still dismiss such incidents as
"away mag-asawa"
SEXUAL HARRASSMENT AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE - The Center
for Women's Resources in the Philippines estimates that one
woman or child is raped every hour mostly by someone they
know.
- Other rights include the right to divorce their husbands, the
right to make decisions on her pregnancy, equitable wages and
equal employment opportunity.
SUMMARY
- Recognizing patriarchy in the simple things we do is very
important for us to identify these instances so we can change
it. Even the simplest acts that are seemingly harmless can be
analyzed and seen as a way to force women into submission
and compliance. That is the power of putting labels on
oppressive acts, and you can call it out and stop it. - -
Feminism gained women access to education, right to vote,
right to work, take control of their reproduction, and the right
to say no instead of just obeying. However, there is still much
to be done for gender equality.
- You can help in making the world a better place for women
by learning to respect and recognizing that women deserve the
same rights as men-that women are not to be treated as the
weaker sex or the submissive sex, but rather as an equal. Also,
use gender neutral language that is not sexist: humanity
instead of mankind, the unsteady of he, to emphasize
inclusion.
LESSON 3 - GENDER AND SEXUALITY AS A
SUBJECT OF INQUIRY
DEFINITION OF TERMS
● Gender studies - a field of study concern about how
reproductive roles are intercepted and negotiated in
the society through gender.
● Social research - the process of investing social
realities.
● Research approach - the orientation in
understanding social realities. This can be qualitative
(interpretive), quantitative (deductive), or both.
● Ethics in research - this is considered in conducting
research to make sure that the wellbeing of the
participants are ensured, and that the outcome of the
study is sound without undue harm to people involve.
INTRODUCTION - The goal of this lesson is to define and
appreciate gender studies. Gender is a big part of our
individuality and society; it is a form of social organization,
and it is often unnoticed. In different cultures and different
times in our history, gender roles played a big part of social
organization.
GENDER ROLE OR SEX ROLE Are “Sets of culturally
defined behaviors such as masculinity and femininity” -
Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender (2019). These roles are not
fixed such that the “culturally define behaviors” for men and
women may be different 50 years ago or very different for
people from other countries and tribe.
This are the common statement we hear from people.
● Boys should not cry
● Girls are bad drivers while boys are superb drivers
● Boys should not be allowed to play dolls.
● Women should be prim and proper. It is ok for men
to be rowdy, they are men anyway.
Gender studies is not just for women or all about women,
it is about everyone. It explores how our gender roles have
changed throughout our history and how it created
inequalities. One hundred years ago, women were not allowed
to study at universities since their role was only restricted to
domestic or the household.
Our society has changed so much since then; the jobs available
for everyone is not so much dependent on physical strength,
making these jobs accessible to women as well.
Gender studies would ask us a question, is it still right to say
that the men are the providers of the family when both
mothers and fathers now work and earn money.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION - Gender roles are socially
constructed and are not something we are “born with”.
- A young boy is always encouraged to be brave, to play
rough, to be loud, and to not show signs of weakness such as
crying. A young girl is discouraging from playing rough and
being loud, instead to be gentle and soft. If a child does not
follow these gender roles, they are reprimanded by the parents,
relatives, friends, or anybody that they interact with.
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people often do not
fit in the traditional binary gender roles so they often
reprimanded, bullied, and discriminate. They are often
subjected to violence and hate just because they do not fit in
what society calls normal.
GENDER STUDIES AND RESEARCH - As a subject of
inquiry, Gender studies utilizes a systematic approach in
identifying problem, making hypothesis and assumptions,
gathering data, and making conclusions.
- This systematic process is referred to as the research
problem
APPROACHES IN RESEARCH
Since Gender and Sexuality cuts across a variety of issues that
could be biomedical, psychological, or political-legal, there is
no singular way in conducting the research process.
There are however a variety of approaches which can be
used.
QUALITATIVE APPROACH - Focuses on more on the
meaning created and interpretations made by people about
their own personal or vicarious (observe) experiences.
Some of the methods used in qualitative approach are as
follows:
Phenomenology - conducting intensive interviews with
individuals who have experienced a particular event and
understanding their “lived experience”
Hermeneutics - understanding the meaning of texts (literary
works, art works) and what they convey about human realities.
Ethnography and ethnomethodology - immersing in a
community and taking note of their experiences, beliefs,
attitude and practices.
QUANTITATIVE APPROACH Focuses on more on the
characterizing a population (total number of individual in a
group) or a sample (a sub-group within the population), and in
some cases making generalizations about the population based
on the behavior of a sample
Some of the methods used in quantitative approach are as
follows:
Survey - collecting information from a sample Experiment -
creating actual set- ups observe behavior of a people in an
experimental group (a group receiving treatment such as
training or a new experience) and comparing it to the behavior
of people in a control group ( a group without any treatment).
ETHICS IN GENDER AND SEXUALITY RESEARCH -
These principles are referred to as ethical principles because
they make sure that people involved in the research are
protected from harm. Ethics is a prerequisite to a properly
conducted study.
The following are the principles to remember:
● Informed consent - researchers should make sure
that the participants in the study are aware of the
purpose and processes of the study they are
participating in.
● Confidentiality and anonymity - Researchers
should not reveal any information provided by the
participants, much so, their identity to anyone who
are not concerned with the study.
● Non-maleficence and beneficence - a study should
do no harm (non- maleficence to anyone. Especially
in research involving humans, a study should
beneficial (beneficence) for it to be worth
implementing
● Distributed justice - a study should not
disadvantage a particular group, especially the
marginalized and the opposed (e.g., poor people,
women, LGBTQ+, THE ELDERLY)
GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND HUMAN ECOLOGY -
Human ecology, as a field, recognizes the interplay among
internal and external environments - physical, socio-economic,
cultural. (Bronfenbrenner 1994; budolz and sontag 1983)
In the context of gender and sexuality, a human ecological
approach looks at human sexual lives and experiences at
various levels and spheres of analysis.
SUMMARY
Gender, being male or female, has socially constructed
meanings, and it is different in every culture and may change
with time. It is important to analyze how society enforce
gender roles on everyone so we can further understand how
power relations in gender roles can limit an individual’s
freedom and promote inequality. To help us have holistic view
we need to use frameworks and methods from different
disciplines—psychology, sociology, medicine and law –
among others.
LESSON 4 – ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF
REPRODUCTION
DEFINITION OF TERMS:
Reproduction – process of producing off springs.
Genitals – external sex organs.
Primary sex characteristics – sex characteristics that are
present at girls.
Secondary sex characteristics – sex characteristics that
emerge during puberty.
INTRODUCTION
Humans experience various physical and emotional changes
from childhood to adulthood.
These changes are gradual and progress at different ages and
speed in different people. These stages are based on human
growth and development from childhood, adolescence,
adulthood, and old age.
This chapter focuses on the adolescent stage of human
development, which is characterized by dynamic changes in
physical and behavioral traits. Despite differences in physical
appearance, the sexual organs of men and women arise from
the same structures and fulfill similar functions. Each person
has a pair of gonads: ovaries are female gonads; testes are the
male gonads. The gonads produce germ cells and sex
hormones. The female germ cells are ova (egg) and the male
germ cells are sperm. Ova and sperm are the basic units of
reproduction; their union can lead to the creation of a new life.
THE BIOLOGICAL FEMALE - Anatomy is the study of
body structure in relation to body parts. The female sexual
anatomy is designed for the production and fertilization of
ovum, as well as carrying and delivering infant offspring.
Puberty signals the final development of primary and
accessory organs that support reproduction.
A. The female external genitalia consist of the
following:
▪ Vulva – all the external genital structures taken
together;
 ▪ Mons veneris – pads of fatty tissue between pubic
bone and skin;

▪ Labia majora – outer lips surrounding all the other

structures.

▪ Prepuce – clitoral hood ( foreskin above and covering

clitoris);

▪ Clitoris – glans (head), shaft, and crura (root), the

clitoris is particularly sensitive to simulation;

▪ Labia minora- inner lips surrounding the vestibule

where sweat and oil glands, extensive blood vessels,
and nerve endings are located;

▪ Vestibule – area surrounding the urethral opening and
vagina, which is highly sensitive with extensive
blood vessels and nerve endings;
▪ Urethral opening – end of tube connecting to bladder
and used for urination;
▪ Vaginal opening – also called introitus; and
▪ Perineum – area of skin separating the genetalia from
the anus; distance is less in females than males
B. The female internal reproductive structures consist of
the following as described and shown below:
• Vagina – collapsible canal extending from vaginal
opening back and upward into body to cervix and
uterus. During arousal, it is engorged with blood.
This aids its expansion and triggers the release of
lubricants from vaginal mucosa;
• Cervix – small end of uterus to which vagina leads. It
is the opening in cervix leading to the interior of
uterus;
• Uterus – womb, organ within pelvic zone where fetus
is carried;
• Fallopian tubes – carry egg cells from ovaries to
uterus, this is where fertilization occurs; and
• Ovaries – produce estrogen and progesterone.
Estrogen influences female sex characteristics and
initiates menstrual cycle. Progesterone aids in
regulation of menstrual cycle and promotes mature
development of uterine lining to allow for zygote
implantation. Also produce ova, egg cells, and bring
them to maturity. As many as 1 million immature ova
are present at birth, with about 400,000 surviving to
puberty. Of these, only about 400-450 are typically
brought to maturity and released into the fallopian
tubes.
PUBERTY - The menstrual cycle marks the beginning of
puberty in females. The first episode occurs between 11to 15
years of age referred to as menarche. Menstruation pertains to
the sloughing off of the uterine lining if conception has not
occurred. It may last within two to six days which follows a
cycle ranging from 24 to 42 days. Regardless of the length of
the cycle, menstruation begins about 14 days after ovulation
(plus or minus one to two days). The overall cycle is governed
by the hypothalamus as it monitors hormone levels in the
bloodstream.
 It involves changes in the endometrium in response to
the fluctuating blood levels of ovarian hormones.
There are three phases as described and shown in the
figure below.
Menstrual phase - This occurs if the ovum is not fertilized
and does not implant itself into the uterine lining. The
continued high levels of estrogen and progesterone causes the
pituitary to stop releasing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
and luteinizing hormone (LH). Estrogen and progesterone
levels decease causing the endometrium to be sloughed off,
and bleeding ensures. It is during this time that ovarian
hormones are at their lowest levels.
Proliferative phase - It occurs when the hypothalamus
stimulates the pituitary gland to release FSH that stimulates
the ovaries to produce estrogen and causes ova to mature in
the ovarian follicles. Endometrium is repaired, thickens, and
becomes well-vascularized in response to increasing levels of
estrogen.
Secretory phase - It occurs when the pituitary gland releases
LH that causes the ovary to release a mature ovum and causes
the remaining portion of the follicle to develop into the corpus
luteum. The corpus luteum then, produces progesterone.
Endometrial glands begin to secrete nutrients, and lining
becomes more vascular in response to increasing level of
progesterone.
- Problems associated with menstruation include premenstrual
syndrome (PMS) (80-95% of women experience),
dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation caused by overproduction
of prostaglandins, causing the uterine muscles to contract),
and amenorrhea (disruption or absence of menstruation). All
of these involve the fluctuation of hormone levels associated
with menstruation. At menopause (usually around age 45-50),
a woman stops menstruating as ova are no longer brought to
maturity. During the three to four years of this transition
women may experience hot flashes, night sweats, sleep
disturbances (resulting in fatigue, irritability, short-term
memory loss, difficult concentrating), headaches, anxiety,
depression, and difficulty of becoming sexually aroused.
Female secondary sexual characteristics emerge after
puberty:
1. widening of hips and pelvis – accommodates giving birth,
but also results in downward shift in center of gravity
2. enlargement of breasts – at puberty, both the glandular and
fatty tissues of the breasts develop considerably. Differences
in breast size between women are primarily due to differences
in the amount of fatty tissues. It is also not uncommon for one
of a woman’s breasts to be slightly larger than the other. The
glandular tissue of the breasts responds to sex hormones, and
the breasts are involved in a women’s sexual arousal. The
glandular tissue produces milk toward the end of pregnancy
and after childbirth in response to hormone levels.
More female characteristics:
▪ Generally shorter than men;
▪ Greater proportion of body weight composed of fat
than men;

▪ Two X chromosomes reduces expression of many

sex-linked conditions; and
 ▪ Lower mortality rate at every age and longer
projected lifespan than men.
THE BIOLOGICAL MALE - The male sexual anatomy is
designed for the production and delivery of sperm for
fertilization of the female’s ovum. Puberty signals the final
development of primary and accessory organs that support
reproduction.
A. The male external genitalia consist of the following
structures:
▪ Prepuce – foreskin covering head of penis, removed
in male circumcision;
▪ Penis – glans (head), shaft, and root. The glans is
particularly sensitive to stimulation. Running the
length of the penis is the urethra surrounded by the
spongy body and two cylindrical chambers known as
the cavernous bodies. During arousal, these become
engorged with blood, resulting in erection;
▪ Corona – rim of glans where it arises from shaft;
▪ Frenulum – thin strip of skin connecting glans and
shaft on underside of penis;
▪ Scrotum – sac that encloses the two compartments
housing the testes;
▪ Urethral opening – found on head of penis this is the
end of tube connected to bladder and used for
urination. It is also tube to which internal structures
deliver semen by which male ejaculates; and
Perineum – area of skin separating the genitalia from the anus,
distance is greater in males than females.
B. The male internal reproductive organs:
▪ testes – produce androgen, particularly large
quantities of testosterone, which greatly influence
male development and drive sexual motivation; also
produce sperm cells in virtually unlimited quantity
over the entire course of the lifespan;
More male characteristics:
▪ Generally taller and greater production of body
weight composed of water;
▪ Proportionately larger heart and lungs, presumably to
handle greater blood fluid volume;
▪ Exposure to greater levels of testosterone resulting in
heavier body and facial hair, but also increased
frequency and degree of baldness; and
▪ Single X chromosome resulting in sex-linked
conditions such as colorblindness and hemophilia.
MALE HORMONES -The testosterone is the major
male hormone produced mainly by the testes, but there
are other glands called the adrenal glands that also
produce some testosterone. In case a man has lost his
testes, these glands would continue to produce
testosterone to support the male physical appearance.
Testosterone is responsible for the growth and
development of a boy during adolescence and for the
development of sperm and secondary sexual
characteristics.
Male secondary sexual characteristics that emerge
after puberty:
▪ No monthly cycle;
▪ Elongation of vocal cords (lower voice);
▪ Broader shoulders; and
▪ Deeper chest cavity.
SUMMARY - Humans experience various physical
changes from childhood to adulthood. The adolescent
stage is characterized by dynamic changes in physical and
behavioral traits. Despite differences in physical
appearance, the sexual organs of men and women arise
from the same structures and fulfill similar functions.
Each person has a pair of gonads: ovaries are female
gonads; testes are the male gonads. The gonads produce
germ cells and sex hormones. The female germ cells are
ova (egg) and the male germ cells are sperm. Ova and
sperm are the basic units of reproduction; their union can
lead to the creation of a new life.
LESSON 5 – THE PROCESS OF REPRODUCTION
OVULATION - The process when a mature ovum is
released from the ovary and travels to the fallopian tube for
possible fertilization,
FERTILIZATION - Union of sperm and the ovum.
PREGNANCY - the process when an offspring develops
within the mother’s womb.
INTRODUCTION - Although human beings are fully
sexually differentiated at birth, the differences between males
and females are accentuated at puberty. This is when the
reproductive system matures, secondary sexual characteristics
develop, and the bodies of males and females appear more
distinctive.
Female puberty usually begins at about 8-13 years of age; the
reproduction maturation of boys lags about two years behind
that of girls. The physical changes of female puberty include
breast development, rounding of the hips and buttocks, growth
of the hair in the pubic region and the underarm, and the start
of menstruation.
HOW DOES ONE OVULATE? The major landmark of
puberty among females is the onset of the menstrual cycle, the
monthly ovulation cycle that leads to menstruation (loss of
blood and tissues lining the uterus) in the absence of
pregnancy. The menstrual cycle is from the first day of a
period until the day before the next period starts.
Normally, it lasts around 28 days, on the average, but can be
as short as 21 or as long as 40. Whatever the length, ovulation
will happen about 10-16 days before the start of the next
period.
HOW DOES PREGNANCY OCCUR?
- For pregnancy to proceed, the sperm needs to meet up with
an egg. Pregnancy officially starts when a fertilized egg
implants in the lining of the uterus. Pregnancy happens 2-3
weeks after sexual intercourse. This is redundant so it was it
redacted.
- Conception is the process that begins with fertilization of an
egg by the sperm and ends with implantation. When a male
and female have a sexual intercourse, the penis fits into the
woman's vagina. Ejaculation or coming releases the sperm via
the penis into the vagina. The sperm swims through the
female's cervix, into the womb, and finally into the fallopian
tubes. Once the egg or ovum has been released into the
fallopian tube, hundreds of sperm swim up to reach it. Finally,
the sperm penetrates the egg in the fallopian tube where
fertilization takes place and eventually, becomes an embryo.
Once the embryo (fertilized egg) attaches to the inner lining of
the uterus (endothelium), a fetus develops within five to seven
days from a ball of cells floating in the uterus, which officially
begins pregnancy.
A normal pregnancy lasts 37-42 weeks (nine months). This is
measured from the first day of the last period. Pregnancy is
discussed in terms of trimesters (three-month periods), since
each trimester is very different from the rest. After eight
weeks, the embryo is officially referred to as a fetus.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT TEENAGE
PREGNANCY?
- Equipping the youth with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes
necessary to protect themselves against unwanted pregnancy
and provide them access to reproductive healthcare are
needed.
What are the health effects of early pregnancy in the
growing adolescent?
There are serious health risks associated with early pregnancy
because a young woman's body is not mature enough to
handle bearing a child. When a woman is under the pelvic area
(the bone surrounding the birth canal is still growing and may
not be large enough to allow the baby to easily pass through
the birth canal. This can result in what is called an
“obstructed labor”.
What are the health effects of early pregnancy in the
growing adolescent?
- In addition, younger women who become pregnant face a
higher risk than older women in developing a number of other
complications. These complications can be any or a
combination of the following manifestations
● excessive vomiting
● severe anemia:
● hypertension
● convulsions:
● difficulty in breastfeeding (if the girl is too young to
produce milk);
● premature and low birth weight babies
● infection:
● prolonged labor, and
● high maternal mortality or death.
WHAT IS A FISTULA?
 A fistula is an abnormal hole between the bladder and
the vagina - and sometimes the rectum
● The image shows a hole directly from the vagina into
the bladder
SUMMARY
Reproduction involves the ova and sperm to fuse. Their union
can lead to the creation of a new life through pregnancy. This
has explored the process of pregnancy and the changes that
happen during pregnancy. We have discussed the various
ways of preventing pregnancy so that the growing adolescent
would be empowered to choose to avert from early pregnancy
that can lead to various life-threatening complications.
LESSON 6: SEXUAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE
DEFINITION OF TERMS
HEALTH - a state of complete physical, mental, and social
well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
HYGIENE - refers to behaviors that can improve cleanliness
and lead to good, health, such as frequent handwashing, face
washing, and bathing with soap and water.
SEXUAL HEALTH - refers to a state of physical, emotional,
mental, and social wellbeing in relation to sexuality, it is not
merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity.
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH - refers to the state of
complete physical, mental and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity in all matters
relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and
processes at all stages of life.
INTRODUCTION
Puberty causes all kinds of changes in the adolescent’s body.
These bodily changes are normal part of developing into an
adult. There are instances when these changes can be a source
of anxiety to the growing teen. Does anyone not worry about
smelly breath and underarms? This further puts personal
hygiene and healthy habits being important life skills for the
teen.
OILY HAIR - The hormones that create acne are the same
ones that can make you feel like you're suddenly styling your
hair with a comb dipped in motor oil. But during puberty,
when the sebaceous glands produce extra oil, it can make your
hair look too shiny, oily, and greasy. Washing your hair every
day or every other day can help control oily hair.
Do not scrub or rub too hard-this does not get rid of oil any
better and can irritate your scalp or damage your hair. After
you have rinsed, you can follow up with a conditioner if you
like; again, one for oily hair might work best. When you are
styling your hair, pay close attention to the products you use.
Some styling gels or lotions can add extra grease to your hair,
which defeats the purpose of washing it in the first place!
Look for formulas that say “greaseless” or “oil free.”
SWEAT BODY AND ODOR - Perspiration, or sweat, comes
from sweat glands that you have always had in your body. But
thanks to puberty, these glands not only become more active
than before, they also begin to secrete different chemicals into
the sweat that has a stronger smelling odor. You might notice
this odor under your arms in your armpits. Your feet and • 4.1% males have FUBU experience
genitals might also have new smells. • 6.3% MSM experience
• 2.9% married youth
BODY HAIR - Body hair in new places is something you can
count on-again; they are hormones in action. You may want to Trouble Sign Among Teens
start shaving some places where body hair grows, but whether • Sexual promiscuity
you do is up to you. Some guys who grow facial hair like to let • Regular use of drugs and alcohol
it develop into a mustache and beard. Some girls may decide • Running away more than once in three months
to leave the hair on their legs and under their arms as is. • Skipping school more than once in three months
• Aggressive outburst/impulsiveness
It is all up to you and what you feel comfortable with. If you • Dark drawings or writings
do decide to shave, whether you are a guy or girl, you have a • Deterioration in hygiene
few different choices. Do not be afraid to ask for tips. You • Oppositional behavior
might want to avoid shaving your pubic hair because when it • Refusal to work/non-compliance
grows back in, the skin may be irritated and itchy. • Chronic lateness
DENTAL HYGIENE - Dentists say that the most important • Falling sleep in class
part of tooth care happens at home. Brushing and flossing • Changes in physical appearance
properly, along with regular dental checkups, can help prevent • Excessive daydreaming
tooth decay and gum disease.
HARMFUL PRACTICES
If you have teeth that are sensitive to heat, cold, and pressure,
you may want to try a special toothpaste for sensitive teeth. MARIJUANA - Also known as Cannabis, Grass, Joint, Splif,
Hashish, Pot, Weed.
SUMMARY - Marijuana is a plant grown and used worldwide. Usually
In this chapter, we have identified the important health habits people smoke the leaves but the leaves and the stem can be
for the developing adolescent to address the various changes made into tea, or even cookies.
that take place in the growing adolescent. Practical tips on - Some people become relaxed and happy while others feel
observing good and healthy hygiene daily have been panic or fear.
highlighted as well as indications when to seek help, - Users eyes usually become red and their throats and mouths
especially from a healthcare professional. will become dry.

LESSON 7: RISKY BEHAVIOR OF ADOLESCENCE EFFECTS:

DEFINITION OF TERMS : • Increase in heart rate

RISK - the probability that a hazard in the environment can • Chronic bronchial irritation
actually negatively affect the individual. • Impairment of long term memory
ADOLESCENT - transitional phase of growth and • Gum Disease
development between childhood and adulthood. RISK- • Increased risk of cancers
TAKING - a behavior of doing something regardless of • Impairment of the immune system.
potential loss. • Decreased testosterone levels
• Decreased sperm counts
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an adolescent • Increased sperm abnormalities in male users.
as any person between ages 10 and 19 • Impaired fetal growth and development
• Risk taking is a normal part of adolescent development. ALCOHOL
• Risk- taking is defined as participation in potentially health Alcohol is the most common drug and is used worldwide.
compromising activities with little understanding of, or in • Alcohol causes relaxation and people feel less self-
spite of an understanding of the possible negative conscious. After more alcohol, and individual gets drunk;
consequences. reaction time slows down and thinking straight becomes
difficult.
• The concept of risk has been established as a characteristic
that exposes adolescents to threats to their health and well- EFFECTS:
being.
• Young people may be exposed to similar risks but respond • Slurred speech
differently. Some may not sustain any physical or emotional • Aggressive behaviour
damage while others may be affected for the rest of their lives. • Vomiting
• Unconscious
During adolescence, young people begin to explore alternative • Dying
health behaviors including smoking, drinking alcohol, drug
use, sexual intimacy, and violence. CIGARETTES

• The Department of Health in its Adolescent and Young • Also known as Tobacco, cigars.
Health Policy (2000) has identified the following health risks • Influence of friends, seductive advertisements, and older role
substance use, premarital sex, early childbearing, abortion, models like siblings or celebrities, to mention a few.
HIV/AIDS, violence, accidents, malnutrition, and mental • Young people find smoking a 'cool' thing to do, but they
become addicted to one of the most addictive and dangerous
• Guidance of family is important as the adolescent develops substances 'Nicotine' which is an active ingredient in tobacco.
into mature adult. EFFECTS:
Identified Sexual Risks that were found among the growing • Death
Filipino adolescents are as follows: • Lung cancer
• Emphysema
One in three sexual experience. Some of the growing Filipino
• Bronchial disorders
adolescents were engaged in the early period of their life when
it comes in sex. TIPS TO AVOID DRUG
• First sex of boys and girls • You do not need to take drugs to feel brave or courageous
• 1.2% have paid for sex and 1.3% received payment for sex • You do not need drugs to cope with sorrow or
• 6.7% casual sex disappointments
• You have, inside you, the strength and inner resources to
deal with any situation and any problem.
• You do not need to take drugs to be liked by other people
LESSON 8: GENDER AND SEXUALITY AS A
PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUE
DEFINITION OF TERMS
• PSYCHOSOCIAL- a term pertaining to psychological and
social factors and the interaction of these factors
• PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES- needs and concerns relating to
one or all of the psychosocial dimensions
• REPRODUCTIVE ROLE- the social script ascribed to
individuals pertaining to their role in child-bearing or child
rearing and related tasks such as maintaining the household.
• PRODUCTIVE ROLE- the social script ascribed to
individuals pertaining to their role in economic production and
related task such as engaging in public affairs and living in the
world of work.
In the previous sessions, we discussed about the  romantic relationship, or others.
biological dimension of sexuality. We learned that the human 
has biological mechanisms for sexual growth and reproduction
, and that depending on sex, these mechanisms differ.
At the beginning of this text book, we also emphasized that the  The process by which we learn cultural norms and traditions is
reproductive mechanism are interpreted by societies, thereby,  referred to as socialization.
creating differentiated social standards for behavior and expect
ations. For instance, since the human female is capable of bear
ing a child, the society interprets this capacity as associated to  that includes emotional or psychological well-being,
womanhood, and thus, sets fulfillment of reproductive role as  as well as social and collective well-being. The term
expectation among women. On the other hand, since the huma
n male does not have capability to bear the child but has relati
vely larger muscularskeletal frame, the society expects the hu
man male to perform productive role and associates this role to 
men.
The term "psychosocial" is an encompassing term. It is
comprised of two primary aspects: psychological and social.
In essence, psychological pertains to anything associated with
mental process and behavior. While social pertains to human
relationships, connection, an interaction.
The psychological aspect of gender and sexuality anchors
itself on the field of psychology.
Our sexual behaviors, as well as gender-related behaviors,
originate from what we sense, think, and feel.
THERE ARE THREE PRIMARY
PSYCHOLOGICAL DOMAINS:
- Affect or affective domain pertains to people's emotio
ns and feelings.
- Behavior or the behavioral domain pertains to people'
s actions both observable (overt) or not readily observ
able (covert).
- Cognition or cognitive domain pertains to thought pr
ocesses such as memory perception, and information-
processing.
UNDERSTANDING THE PSYCHOSOCIAL DIMENSION
- There are many ways through which the psychosocial
dimension of gender and sexuality can be understood
and explained.
- Our experience of gender and sexuality is generally a
relational experience.
- There are some elements of our gendered self which
are best viewed in an ecological context that is, in the
circumstances in our physical and social
environment.
AWARENESS: Is a state of knowing and being informed of
something. Being informed about the problems of global
warming is an example of having an awareness of the
problems. The state or quality of being aware of something.
The awareness of one type of idea naturally fosters an
awareness of another idea.
TYPES OF AWARENESS
- Self-awareness is the most known type of awareness.
It’s the ability to know oneself, to have a deep
understanding of what makes us who we are not just
our strengths and weaknesses, but also what triggers
our emotions and behaviors or what our core values
are.
- Social awareness is the ability to understand others,
the relationships you have with them, and the
relationships they have with each other. It’s also
about understanding how you react in various social
situations and different contexts.
Human relationship a bond formed between two or more
people, manifested through communication and interaction.
These relationships may be in the form of family, friendships
The process of knowing others and allowing others to know us
is intimacy.
- Psychosocial well-being is a superordinate construct
“quality of life” is similar to psychosocial well-being
in that it involves emotional, social and physical
components.
- Psychological well-being is when you're mentally
healthy and feel positive overall about your life. As
more awareness and education is brought into the
public conversation about mental health and taking
care of yourself, it's important to understand the role
psychological well-being plays in your overall health.
Summary These psychological dimensions often include the
cognitive and emotional factors underpinning sexual response,
personality and psychopathology related variables, socio-
cognitive variables, interpersonal/relationship variables and
cultural aspects influencing sexual functioning and behavior.
LESSON 9: LOVE, INTIMACY AND RELATIONSHIP
INTRODUCTION
- February 15,2015 a study by McCann world Group.
- "Filipino most expressive about love among Asia
Pacific countries study".
- Robert Sternberg- a psychologist known for the
theory of love.
Love as Human Experience-Love is a human experience
differently defined and conceptualized
Love as a Culture Universal - Love is construed as a universal
culture. A culture universal is a phenomenon experienced
similarly by people across time and cultures. This means that
humans, whether those who lived in the past or who are living
now and regardless of their geographic location or socio-
cultural identities, have experienced love, in one way or
another.
Said differently, love is an experience that transcends time and
culture. People before us, such as our grandparents, parents,
and other adolescents like us who live in other countries, are
believed to know and encounter love as we do. The way we
appreciate and experience this phenomenon may be unique,
but it is a similar phenomenon altogether.
Love as a social phenomenon - Likewise, love is viewed as a
social phenomenon. Social phenomena are events or
experiences which ensue within our interaction and
relationship with other people.
-Loving entails communication–the process of giving and
receiving information between and among people.
-It also entails the use of a language–symbols that are
culturally agreed upon as possessing certain meanings and that
are used by people to express certain realities and worldviews
LOVE AS AS EMOTION
Love is also construed as an emotion. Emotions are
physiological responses that we evaluate psychologically as
we experience particular life events. There are basic emotions
such as joy, sadness, fear, disgust, and anger among others.
LOVE AS A NEUROBIOLOGICAL - With recent
advancements in science, love, now, can be studied as a
neurobiological event. Every split second, information is being
passed on within our nervous system conglomerate of organs
(including our brain, our spinal cord, and our nerves, among
others) responsible for our ability to process and transmit
essential information among the many organs in our body.
-Electrical signals - Neurons- Neurotransmitters
-VTA (ventral tegmental are (VTA)
-Endorphins-hormones
THEORIZING LOVE
PSYCHODYNAMIC VIEW ON LOVE - Psychodynamic
theory is a collective term, which pertains to the
psychoanalytic tradition forwarded by Sigmund Freud.
The psychodynamic theory posits that we have desires and
motives fueled by our life (eros) and death (thanatos) instincts.
- The psychodynamic view puts prime on the influence
of our early life experiences (from conception to
around six years old)
- Crucial to this life stage is our relationship with our
primary caregiver--typically the mother.
- Attachment (psychic bond) we have with out primary
caregiver/s, influence our relationship in later life.
- Psychodynamic view, love can be seen as a
manifestation of our eros and the placement of our
libido (life energy) onto an object.
COLOR WHEEL OF LOVE
John Alan Lee (1973), a Canadian psychologist, suggested that
there are different types of love.
The primary types are:
 Eros - is erotic or sexual or passionate love,
 Ludus - is playful or uncommitted love
 Storge - Natural affection or love, especially of
parents for their children.
The secondary types are:
Mania - This refers to an obsessive love style. These
individuals tend to be emotionally dependent and to need
fairly constant reassurance in a relationship.
Agape - is the highest level of love to offer. It's given without
any expectations of receiving anything in return.
Pragma - is a love built on commitment, understanding, and
long-term interests, like building a family.
TRIANGULAR MODEL OF LOVE
According to Stenberg (1986), love has three interlocking
dimensions, the passion, intimacy, and commitment.
- Passion refers to the physical and emotional aspect.
- Intimacy pertains to the psychological and relational
aspect.
- Commitment pertains to the agency component that
is the choice we make with regards to engaging and
maintaining the loving relationship.
TRIANGULAR MODEL OF LOVE
ROMANTIC AND COMPASIONATE LOVE - Hatfield and
Rapson (1978, 1993), on the other hand, suggests that there
are two general types of love, the romantic love and
companionate love. Romantic love is characterized by intense
passion. Companionate love, on the other hand, is
characterized by intense intimacy, emotional closeness, which
is also characteristic of liking.
LOVE LANGUAGES
Gary Chapman, a world-renown author, suggested that people
have various ways through which we give and receive love.
He referred to these unique ways as love languages. Chapman
(1995) posited that there are generally five love languages;
namely, words of affirmation, touch, time, gifts, and acts of
service.
WORDS OF AFFIRMATION -Tend to verbally express their
thoughts and feelings of love towards the people they love.
They may be comfortable saying “I love you” and articulating
other words of endearment. They also seem to be generous in
expressing through words their appreciation of others’
presence in their lives, their loved ones have in them.
TOUCH - Express love non-verbally through hugs, kisses, or,
simply, a tap on the back. They value proximity (nearness) and
yearns for physical contact (not) with their partners. Those
whose love language is time tend to value quality moments
with their loved ones. They are much willing to create
memories with the people they love.
TIME -Want to show and receive affection through material
objects, especially during special occasions.
ACTS OF SERVICE - Much willing to serve the other person
by helping her or him in things that they do.
LOVE AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP
The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, has been widely quoted as
referring to humans as social animals, this means that we
survive, thrive, and flourish when we are together such that
relating to other humans is not only a sentimental, but also an
evolutionary and a practical process.
Social connection is necessary for our growth as individuals.
In certain cases, it also serves as a foundation for family life,
which then provides us humans a venue for nurturance and
care and as a platform where we can develop to our greatest
potentials. In other cases, it enables us to secure our social
position and provides us human resources to implement our
goals for ourselves and for the greater community.
In his analysis of close human relationships, George Levinger
(1982) postulated there are stages that intimate relationships
go through:
(1) acquaintance, (2) buildup, (3) continuation or
consolidation, (4) deterioration or decline, and (5) ending
or termination. Simply, the ABCDE of intimate relationships.
ACQUIANTANCES - Intimate human relationships start
in acquaintanceship. We meet up through circumstances and
first learn about basic information about one another. Crucial
at this stage is attraction. It can happen when there
is propinquity or proximity—where they are physically close
to one another. It can happen when there is exposure—when
due to proximity, there are repeated possibilities of interaction.
It can also happen when there is similarity—common
preferences, interests, and probably, beliefs and values.
BUILD UP - Some acquaintanceships build up into deeper
relationships. Frequency of interaction increases. Kinds of
activities shared become diverse. The involved parties began
to introduce one another to each other’s friends and families,
thus, making the social network lager and interconnected. This
is the stage when two persons test boundaries. They test the
waters before engaging fully and so committedly in the
relationship.
CONSOLIDATION AND CONTINUATION
The third stage of intimate relationship is consolidation this
stage is when people commits to a Long-term relationship
with one another either through a personal agreement
EXCLUSIVITY OF PARTNERSHIP – Being exclusive
with your partner can alter the dynamics of your relationships
and also have an impact on your mental health roman off
explores some of of the implications of exclusivity below.
IMPLICATIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP- The label of
exclusivity often serves as a test drive for relationships, as
people try out this deeper level of commitment and get to
know their partner in this new role
IMPACT ON YOUR MENTAL HEALTH- Many people
experience a feeling of comfort and relief during this stage of
the relationship because it moves out of the territory where
they are constantly questioning their role in their partner’s life
and having doubts about where they stand.
SIGNS YOU’RE READY FOR EXCLUSIVITY
- You spend a lot of time together
- You’ve had an argument and resolve it
- You see this person in the future
- You don’t want to date other people
- You’re ready for emotional intimacy
- You’rew sharing important parts of your life with
them
- Your prioritize and make time
for each other.
SIGNS YOU’RE NOT READY FOR EXCLUSIVITY
- A Major sign that you are not ready for an exclusive
relationship is that you cannot envision your
self being with person long –term
- You cannot see a future with them
- You still want to meet new people
- You feel pressure to be exclusive
DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP - A domestic Partneship is a
legally recognize relationship which two people who live
together like a married couple, without being married to each
other, are afforded certain similar rights domestic partneship
are only recognized in a few states, which require registration
of the relationship in order to be afford
DECLINE OR DETERIORATION
Unfortunately, some intimate partnerships are unable to
sustain and maintain their commitments of attraction, for one,
there may be a change in priorities between the individual
couple, such that the conjoint value of the partnership is not
anymore sufficient
INFIDELITY- The breech of loyalty and promises as agreed
upon by both individuals (presence of a third party, extra-
marital affairs)
IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES- Which are already
harming each individual and the partnership as a whole.
Summary
Humans are social beings and at the core of this nature, is
relating and connecting with other, central to understanding
human relationship is the concept of love, an experience so
abstract, yet so meaningful to many people. But then again,
love is diversely defined in a much as it manifest and is
experienced in diverse ways. This chapter tackles the various
theories which explain love and it’s types, it also tackles the
stages which people who are in love and in an intimate
relationship undertake as they progress from acquaintanceship
to a deeper form of consensual relationship conversely seasons
for deterioration of intimate relationship as well as it’s
eventual demise , are also highlighted by and large we are all
encouraged to reflect about our human relationships with the
goal of forging healthy, successful and nurturing connections
with others
LESSON 10: SEX AND SENSES
DEFINITION OF TERMS:
Sensorium - the totality of our senses and perception;
a conglomerate of the individual sense organs.
Olfaction - sense of smell.
Tactile - something associated with touch.
Pheromone - a substance believed to be entitled by organisms
and which is thought to be influencing social behaviors.
Major Histocompatibility Complex - a set of protein
molecules associated with the immune system.
INTRODUCTION
When we were children, we were taught that there are five
bodily organs which corresponds to our primary senses, that
we use to explore and experience the world around us, our
sense of sight (visual), sense of smell (olfaction), sense of
hearing (audition), sense of taste (gustation), and our sense of
touch/feeling.
These five senses comprise our sensorium, while we receive
information from our environment through the senses, our
brain has the ability to organize and interpret these numerous
stimuli into meaningful ideas that are used for our children
(behavior).
HUMAN AFFECT AND THE SENSES - Affective Primacy
Hypothesis (Zajonc 1980) postulates that in many cases,
cognitive processing plays a lesser role compared to our
emotional responses in eliciting behavior. By virtue of this
hypothesis, by default, our emotions take precedent primarily
because these are only processed and modulate by the limbic
system- the emotional part of our brain which is more
primitive compared to the ones responsible for higher order of
thinking. This is where the sensorium and the human affects
meets.
As part of our mechanisms for evolution, humans like us have
three primary emotional responses: fight, flight, or freeze.
- A fight response is when we face adverse or
dangerous stimuli squarely.
- A flight response is when we move away from the
adverse or dangerous stimuli.
- A freeze response is when you are startled and are
unable to make a choice, thus, are unable to move.
SENSES AND SEXUALITY
VISUAL EXPERIENCE - Humans are predominantly visual.
Our societies highly rely on visual culture to co-create
meaning and convey information. For instance, our language
has a visual component, as observed from our writing systems.
These only show that visual culture is an essential element of
our society. It is only appropriate to utilize these visual cues
since visual memory is deemed superior to other forms (Cohen
et al 2008).
Rupp and Wallen (2007) Men Respond more to visual sexual
stimuli and tend to be influenced by the sex of the actors in a
sexual scenario.
ex. Physical attributes
Women were found to be more influence by a connect,
although they, too are responsive to the sexual content of a
visual stimuli.
ex. Physical attribute, person someone they know and trust
OLFACTORY EXPERIENCE
Olfaction is non- human animals, which are believed to
be microsmatic organism, or organism having greater senses
of smell have been an interest among psychologists since
1950s
- Study by Muscarella, Arantes, and Koncsol
(2011) the study found heterosexual females who
participated in their study tend to like wearing floral-
sweet but want musky spicy scent to be worn by their
partner
- Scientist tried to explain how human olfaction
influence sexuality (first, through what is referred to
as signature order) (which is associated with the
Major histocompatibility complex)
Humans interest in pheromones, on the other hand, has been
present since the early 1930s when an entomologist Bethe
(1932) suggested that there are hormones emitted outwards the
body, these are called ectohormones.
In a few decades, the term was replaced with the word
pheromones, and eventually , the concept was generalized to
be true also to mammals, in the 1970s for instance,
the McClintock Effect (1971) or menstrual synchrony –the
observation that females in the same dormitory usually would
have their menstruation at nearly the same dormitory usually
would have their menstruation
CHEMICALS HUMANS HORMONES ARE:
ANDROSTADRENONE
ESTRATETRAENOL
I-PYRROLINE
TACTILE EXPERIENCE - Touch is observed to be an
element of intimacy. In social interactions, particularly
intimate ones, touch holds meaning. There are only people
who we allow to touch us. There are only parts of our bodies
we allow people to touch. Touching, just like any other
behavior, may also be governed by social norms.
Different parts of the human body also have different
thresholds of tactile experience. Areas such as the mouth,
anus, genitals, and nipples are referred to as primary
erogenous zones, as they are very sensitive to touch. The back,
cheek, neck, and buttocks are secondary erogenous zones, as
they are also sensitive to touch, but only supportive of the
primary zones in eliciting response. Often, these erogenous
zones are areas of the body involved in the reproductive and
sexual act.
AUDITORY EXPERIENCE - Social interactions are not only
visual, but are also auditory processes. Our human language
often has a verbal counterpart to the written language. In fact,
historically, much of our culture is passed on through oral
traditions, even before the writing system was developed.
Sexual activities are also a verbal communication process.
Sounds give additional context to sexual situations. For
instance, in sexual interactions, couples may give verbal erotic
encourage–words that triggers sexual response or verbal
affection–words that manifest feelings (e.g. I love you, I miss
you). A survey of popular music will show that love and sex
are among the common themes of songs nowadays. This only
emphasizes the value of sound in human sexuality.
SUMMARY
The senses are the windows to our consciousness. We are
aware, we learn, and we experience because we can receive
information from the environment through our sense organs.
The brain is a powerful organ that consolidates and processes
these stimuli into meaningful units and wholes.
Lesson 11: Sexual Behaviors
Definition of terms:
• Sexual Behavior - an action with sexual mention and
context
• Erotic - related to sexual stimulation, has something
to do with the erogenous zone.
• Sexual response cycle - sequence of events from
arousal to orgasm to resolution of sexual tension.
• Sexual dysfunction - a concern or problem any of the
phases of the sexual response cycle (e.g. inability to
have an erection or orgasm, painful intercourse).
• Copulatory behavior - related to the insertion of the
penis to the vagina.
• Paraphilia - arousal from nonliving objects and or
non-consenting persons.
INTRODUCTION
• Recall three primary components affect (emotions and
feelings), cognition (thought process) and behavior
(actions).
• Human sexuality, it is only appropriate to explore the
diversity of behaviors relevant to our understanding of
human sexuality.
• Behavior are things that we do, both overt or observable
and covert or not readily observable by the naked eye.
• Interesting about behavior is readily measurable as
opposed to feelings and thoughts.
SEXUAL BEHAVIORS
Sexual behaviors are actions that humans agree to interpret as
an expression of their sexual motivations or intentions. It is
important to remember that behaviors are given meaning by
people. For instance, while hugging and kissing maybe
considered sexual in nature, this is not always the case because
the context of the behavior matters.
Sexual behaviors are generally erotic behaviors such that they
involve any of the primary or secondary erotic zones. Sexual
behaviors can be typed according to the aim of the behavior.
For instance, sexual behavior such as masturbation or the
stimulation of one's own genitals can be considered as auto-
erotic (self-directed). Erotic motivations can also be directed
to other people of the same-sex or of the opposite sex.
Homoerotic behaviors are sexual behaviors oriented to the
same sex. On the other hand, heteroerotic behaviors are used
to refer to sexual behaviors oriented to the other sex.
SEXUAL RESPONSE CYCLE - For heterosexual couples,
one of the ultimate goals of the sexual act is reproduction. This
is made possible through the fertilization of the ovum by a
sperm, which necessitates ejaculation (release of the sperm)
from the human male into the Internal reproductive system of
the human female.
Master and Johnson's Model. Masters and Johnson (1966,
1970) proposed that the following are four phases in the cycle:
EXCITEMENT - this is the first phase in this cycle.
PLATEAU - This phase is characterized by a sustained peak
in stimulation of the organs.
ORGASM - The Orgasm phase is the climax of the sexual
response cycle.
RESOLUTION - In the Resolution phase, the male penis
return to its normal unerected phase, whereas the testes and
the scrotum descend.
KAPLAN'S MODEL. Unlike Master and Johnson's model,
Kaplan's model (1979) sees the sexual response cycle as
having relatively independent stages.
DESIRE – it is the psychological component of the sexual
response It involves sexual thoughts and feelings, which are
necessary for a satisfying sexual experience. However, despite
does not necessarily translate into action.
AROUSAL – this phase is the phase where the Excitement
and Plateau (as defined by Masters and Johnson) take place. It
is the physiological component of the sexual response,
wherein bodily changes occur as an outcome of sexual
stimulation, Just like Desire, Arousal may not necessarily
translate into Orgasm.
ORGASM – in Kaplan's model is generally similar with that
of the Masters and Johnson model, except that this phase also
include the Resolution phase. In Kaplana model, Orgasm is
the completion of the sexual response.
SEXUAL RESPONSE DYSFUNCTIONS
Some people experience difficulty or problems in some of the
sexual phases. The following are the common sexual response
dysfunction:
• SEXUAL DESIRE DISORDER - when an individual has
low levels of desire or has an aversion to sexual activities;
• SEXUAL AROUSAL DISORDER - when an individual
has problems in achieving necessary physiological state for
copulation (e.g., erectile dysfunction in males)
• ORGASMIC DISORDER - when an individual has
problems in achieving orgasm (eg, premature ejaculation
among males male and female orgasmic disorders; and
• SEXUAL PAIN DISORDERS - when there is an
experience of pain during the sexual response cycle (e.g.,
painful erection or dyspareunia, and vaginal spasms or
vaginismus
PARAPHILIAS - While there are typical sexual behaviors
among humans, there are also those behaviors that are
relatively atypical. They are atypical due to any of the
following reasons:
(1) they are not prevalent,
(2) they are dangerous to self and to others,
(3) they are bizarre and are not socially acceptable, and
(4) they are distressing either to the doer or to other people
involved in the act.
Among these atypical sexual behavioral variations, which is
also considered by the APA as a disorder, is paraphilia.
Paraphilia is when an individual gets sexually aroused by an
object, a person, or a circumstance that are unusual (e.g., pain-
inflicting, humiliating, non consenting personal. A paraphilic
disorder is when the urge or act lasts for at least six months
and is a manifestation of clinically significant distress.
SOME OF THE COMMON PARAPHILIC DISORDERS
ARE AS FOLLOWS:
• Exhibitionism - pleasure from exposing one's genitals to
nonconsenting people
• Fetishism - arousal from non-living objects (e.g., shoes,
socks, body parts)
• Frotteurism - touching or rubbing one's body or genitals to
nonconsenting people
• Pedophilia - arousal from children (prepubescent)
• Sexual masochism - arousal from actual suffering or
humiliation; sexual sadism-arousal from actually inflicting
pain to others;
• Transvestic fetishism - (for heterosexual males only)
arousal from wearing clothing by the opposite sex during
sexual activities; and
• Voyeurism - observing other people engaged in sexual
activities.
SUMMARY
The behavioral aspect of human sexuality provides a holistic
perspective as to how physiological and psychological
elements coalesce towards actions. In certain cases, behaviors
often serve as an indicator whether an organism is functional
or are having problems. By knowing what behavior is normal
and acceptable, as well as what behavior is the opposite, we
are able to make intelligent judgments on issues concerning
human sexuality.
LESSON 12: STEREOTYPES, PREJUDICES, AND
DISCRIMINATION
DEFINITION OF TERMS:
• Stereotype - extremely generalized belief about a group of
people.
• Prejudice-unjustified or income attitude towards a person
• Discrimination - when stereotypes and prejudice translate
into a negative act towards a person.
STEREOTYPES - Stereotypes are an "over-generalized
belief about a particular group or class of people" (Cardwell
1996). It can be helpful in simplifying things, after all, there
7.7 billion people in the planet. When we meet someone for
the first time, we associate with them certain characteristics
and abilities that we usually base on the group they belong to.
A stereotype can be categorized as "explicit", meaning the
person is aware that they have these thoughts towards a group
of people and they can say it out load. It can also be "Implicit
wherein a person does not know if they have these stereotypes
since it lies in their subconscious. When the stereotype is
explicit, a person can choose not to turn their stereotypes into
actions. While with an implicit stereotype, a person has no
control or awareness of it, and it may manifest into actions or
behavior.
PREJUDICE - Prejudice is an "unjustified or incorrect
attitude (usually negative) towards an individual based solely
on the individual's membership of a social group" (McLeod
2008). Prejudice represents our emotional response upon
learning of a person’s membership to a specific group dike
age, skin color, race, disability, generation, nationality,
religion, sex, sexual expression, gender expression, and so on).
This negative attitude (prejudice) can be dangerous since it
often leads to negative. Actions and behaviors. For example, a
sexist person is someone who has negative attitude, towards
the other sex and sees them as the lesser sex. This negative
attitude could manifest into action such as bullying,
discrimination, or violence.
DISCRIMINATION - Discrimination refers to actions or
behaviors towards an individual or a group of people.
According to the United Nations, discriminatory behavior
takes many forms, but they all involve some form of exclusion
or rejection".
Here are a few examples of discrimination:
• Genocide is the action of recognizing someone as different
so much that they are treated inhumanly and degraded.
• Apartheid (means separateness) in a form of racial
discrimination wherein one race is viewed as less than the
other, resulting in the separation of black and whites and the
mass murder of Jews in concentration camps.
• Gender Discrimination in another common form of
discrimination.
• LGBTQ discrimination happens when LGBTQ people are
treated as lesser than straight people.
 - Restricting opportunities or privileges that may be
available to other groups discrimination, like the right
to vote in national elections. In the Philippines,
women on mained the right to vote in 1937 and
before that. Filipino women had no legal rights even
to own properties. That form of institutional
discrimination was based on illogical or irrational
judgement that women are weaker than men.
FREEDOM AND EQUALITY
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) states that "all human beings are born free and equal
in dignity and rights." This declaration was drafted by member
countries of the United Nations, including the Philippines, in
1948. This monumental document outlines the fundamental
rights of every human being that should be protected by
everyone at all times.
Its preamble recognizes that the "inherent dignity and of the
equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human
family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the
world."
SUMMARY
Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination is a sensitive issue
for many people since it can be traced to our history, culture,
tradition, and religion.
However, with the Internet and technology, we now live in a
world that seems to have no borders. It is important to create a
society that respects the uniqueness of every human being and
uphold everyone's dignity and rights.
LESSON 13: LGBTQ PSYCHOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
Labels are so powerful it can be used to discriminate and
oppress people. However, labels can also empower people to
claim their space in our society, especially in the political
sphere. Language can be used to avoid offense or disadvantage
to certain groups of people.
VIEWS ON LGBT IN HISTORY - Sexual and emotional
attraction towards the same sex has been recorded throughout
history of mankind. Society's attitude towards homosexuality
and other gender variants change through history. In ancient
Greek, all males are expected so take on a younger male lover
in a practice called pederasty. Some societies, like the
indigenous Native Americans, accepted and celebrated what
they called ‘two-spirited’ person in a dance to the ‘Berdache’.
However, later cultures see it as a ‘sin’ following the
Abrahamic Religion which branded it as sodomy, a crime
against nature. As these cultures colonized other countries, it
enforced its belief systems of viewing same sex attraction as a
sin through violence such as killing homosexual through
burning, stoning, or being fed to the dogs. Homosexuality was
classifies as an illness in 19th century as a basis for them to
legally prosecute, imprison and commit the homosexual in
mental institution.
As science advance through the years, the APA removed
homosexuality as a psychiatric disorder or sickness. This
decision was after many years of struggles from the gay and
lesbian movement.
THE ABC’S OF THE LGBTQIA+
1. Lesbian – women who are emotionally and sexually
attracted to women
2. Gay - men who are emotionally and sexually attracted to
men.
3. Bisexual - man or woman who are emotionally and sexually
attracted to men or women
4. Transgender- when your gender identity (how you feel) is
different from your physical sex (male/female).
5. Queer- used by people who celebrate all gender identities,
can also mean someone who do not want to be restricted as
Lesbian, Gay, or Bi.
6. Intersex- people who were born with sex genitals or
chromosome patterns that do not fit the typical male or female
body.
7. Asexual/ Ally- asexual are people who do not feel sexual
attraction to anyone, but it does not mean that they do not
engage in romantic or sexual relationships. Allies are straight
or heterosexual people who are fighting for LGBT rights.
8. Plus+- the plus sign refers to all sexualities that do not fit in
the LGBTQI Spectrum.
HERE ARE A FEW MORE TO HELP US BECOME
MORE INCLUSIVE:
1. Androgynous- people whose gender expression (their
physical appearance) may or may not be distinctly male or
female.
2. Gender- your internal sense of being masculine or feminine
or neither
3. Gender identity- how you feel, man, women, or neither.
4. Gender expression- how you express your sense of being
male or female or neither, maybe through hairstyle, clothes,
etc.
5. Sexual Orientation– refers to your emotional and sexual
attraction to a person.
6. Sex assigned at birth- your given sex when were born
based on your sex organ
7. Cisgender- when your gender identity matches with the sex
you are assigned
at birth.
8. Non-binary- people who do not feel like a boy or a girl;
they may feel like they are Doth or neither, so sometimes they
use the pronouns they, them, and theirs.
UNDERSTANDING TRANSGENDERISM
Society attaches a lot of meanings to our biological sex or
physical sex. Parents unknowingly set up a gender-based
pattern of raising their children upon knowing the biological
sex of their babies. Pink for girls and blue for boys is a
reflection of our hetero-normative culture wherein we expect
females to be feminine and males to be masculine. This
limited view on sexuality makes it harder for those who do not
fit in the box of masculinity and femininity, like the lesbians,
gays, and bisexuals.
- It makes it so much more difficult for the transgender people,
those who feel like they were born in the wrong body or given
the wrong biological sex.
WHO IS A TRANSGENDER? - The APA defines transgender
as "an umbrella term for persons whose gender identity,
gender expression, or behaviour does not conform to that
typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned
at birth."
This means that a transgender person does not feel
comfortable in their biological sex like a person who is born
male but feels like a female, and a person who is born female
may feel like he is male. This "feeling" or gender identity is
not something that changes through time, but is a feeling that
they have since childhood. This creates a problem for a
hetero-normative society wherein everyone is expected and
forced to fit in the boxes of male masculinity and female
femininity.
The word transgender is also used as an umbrella term, this
means that there are many identities under this term.
Transsexuals for example, is often used in the medical field
to refer to people whose gender identity is different from their
biological sex and they may want to change their body, so it
resembles how they feel about their gender identity. A
biologically male person may feel like she is a woman since
she was just a child and in adulthood, she may choose to have
a "hormonal replacement therapy or sex reassignment
surgery". Medical advancements have helped transgender
people live a full life; however, it can be a long, difficult, and
expensive process.
OTHER SEXUALITIES UNDER THE TRANSGENDER
UMBRELLA TERM INCLUDES:
FTM - female to male, a person whose biological sex is female
and has
transitioned to living his life as a male.
MTF - male to female, a person whose biological sex is male
and has transitioned to living her life as a female.
Crossdressing - some people want to dress as the opposite
gender from time to time, however, unlike the transsexual,
they are comfortable identifying with their biological sex.
Drag kings and queens - these are people who dress as the
opposite gender for entertainment which they do out of
passion or for work; and
Gender queer - these are people who feel like their gender
does not fit the gender binary view that is limited to the male
or female category because they feel that these are too
restrictive.
THE TRASITIONING PROCESS - Transitioning is the
process of changing the way you look and how people see and
treat you so that you become the gender you feel on the inside.
Transitioning can mean lots of different things. It can involve
medical treatment and hormones. It can involve changing your
name and preferred pronouns.
How do transgender people transition?
There are two different types of transition, or ways to affirm
your gender:
• Social Transition
• Medical Transition.
Social transitioning may include:
• coming out to your friends and family as transgender
• asking people to use pronouns (she/her, he/him, they/them)
that match your gender identity
• going by a different name
• dressing/grooming in ways that match your gender identity
FOR TRANS MEN AND SOME NON-BINARY PEOPLE
MEDICAL TRANSITION MAY INCLUDE ANY OF THE
FOLLOWING:
• HORMONE THERAPY (to create masculine
characteristics such as a deeper voice, facial hair growth,
muscle growth, redistribution of body fat away from hips and
breasts, not getting a period, etc.)
• MALE CHEST RECONSTRUCTION , or “top surgery”
(removal of breasts and breast tissue)
• HYSTERECTOMY (removal of internal female
reproductive organs such as the ovaries and uterus)
• METOIDIOPLASTY (surgery that causes your clitoris to
work more like a penis, along with hormone treatment to make
your clitoris grow larger)
• HORMONE THERAPY (to create feminine characteristics
such as less body hair, breasts, redistribution of body fat
toward hips and breasts, etc.)
• REAST AUGMENTATION (implants)
• ORCHIECTOMY (removal of testes)
• LASER HAIR REMOVAL (to remove hair from your face
or other parts of your body)
• TRACHEAL SHAVE (making your Adam’s apple smaller)
• FACE FEMINISATION SURGERY (create smaller, more
feminine facial features)
• PENILE INVERSION VAGINOPLASTY (creation of a
vagina by inverting penile skin)
DOES EVERYONE WHO IS TRANSGENDER DECIDE
TO TRANSITION?
No, not all transgender people transition. For those who do,
not all transition in the same way. Some may transition
socially and not medically. Some may transition medically by
doing one or only a few of the procedures listed above. Some
may take hormones and decide not to have any surgeries, or
just choose one kind of surgery and none of the others. There
are many reasons for the differences in how people transition.
These medical procedures can be very expensive, which
means that not everyone can afford them. Some transgender
people may have health insurance that covers transition-
related procedures, and some may not.
LESSON 14: MEN AND MASCULINITIES
INTRODUCTION
Since 1970s, studies on different aspects of manhood (from
men in the labor market to men in the family and violent men,
etc.) were made. By the 20th century, the number of these
studies increased dramatically.
A growing body of literature theorizing men and masculinities
focuses on a variety of topics including men's violence,
fatherhood, pornography, men's crimes, female masculinity,
male femininity, etc.
MEN’S RIGHTS LOBBY - One of the main founding texts
of this lobby is by Warren Darrell, in his work, The Myth of
Male Power: Why are Men the Disposable Sex? (1994).
Modern legislation is seen to be overprotective of women's
interests, resulting in discrimination against men at a time
when they are under increasing threat within a rapidly
changing society. Still, some researchers argue that these pro-
male movements were only a reaction to feminism-an attempt
to accuse women and feminists for creating problems that men
encounter in society.
HIERARCHY AND HEMONOGY
HEGEMONY, the internalization of dominant ideology,
meaning a situation in which a single state exercises
leadership in creating and maintaining the fundamental rules
of the international system. To make subordinates believe that
they eventually will gain power.
Hegemonic Masculinity was understood as the pattern of
practice that allowed men’s dominance over women to
continue. Hegemonic Masculinity embodied the currently
most honored way of being a man as of required all other men
to position themselves in relation to it and it ideologically
legitimated the global subordination of women to men.
Men who receive the benefits of patriarchy without enacting a
strong version of masculine dominance could be regarded as
showing complicit masculinity. Hegemony did not mean
violence, although it could be supported by force: It meant
ascendancy achieved through cultures, institutions and
persuasion.
HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY & COLLECTIVE
MASCULINITIES
HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY is also dominant in regard to
the entire gender order, not simply in comparison to other
masculinities. It is a manifestation of the dominance that men
have over women as a group.
COLLECTIVE MASCULINITIES - Gender structures of a
society define particular conduct of individuals as either
"masculine" or "feminine". These patterns also exist at the
collective level-in instructions, such as corporations, armies,
governments, and even schools. Masculinities are also defined
collectively in the workplace and in informal groups like street
gangs.
Masculinity also exist impersonally in culture. Video games,
for example, circulate stereotyped images of violent
masculinity. Cinema and TV Shows portray stereotypes of
masculinity such as abandoning father , disgruntled student,
abusive partner, and the drug convict.
In sports, an aggressive kind of masculinity is created
organizationally by its structure, pattern of competition,
system of training, and hierarchy of levels and rewards.
MASCULINITIES & WELL-BEING
Masculinity refers to a set of practices, attitudes and
behaviours that instruct what men and boys should be and how
they should act. Masculinity is learnt and expressed through
observation and interaction between people in schools and
universities, at workplaces and in sporting clubs. Social
expectations of men and boys are also embedded in
institutions, policies and laws.
MASCULINE EXPECTATIONS ARE INFLUENCED BY:
• our social worlds, which are a group of people who
get together around a common interest or activity
• social factors that can interact with gender or
masculinity such as race, sexuality, and
socioeconomic status
• power and privilege differences between people and
groups.
Why Your Psychological Well-Being Matters?
• Studies have discovered that people with higher
psychological well-being are more likely to live
healthier and longer lives. They are also more likely
to enjoy a better quality of life. 2 Better
psychological well-being also is associated with
fewer social problems.
WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND..
• We, as individuals, are unique, as are our functioning
and coping mechanisms. A person's upbringing, past
experiences, and present life situations influence and
evolve them. There is no single way to understand an
individual's mental health and well-being as there are
several factors which contribute to the same.
FAMILY FORMATION, FATHERING, CAREGIVING,
AND DOMESTIC ROLES
FAMILY FORMATION
• This is the process of creating relationships between
one's self and at least one other individual that allows
the exchange of resources and responsibilities.
Family formation follows from union formation and
typically involves child rearing. The patterns of
family formation, when studied at a population level,
involve the intersecting changes in the timing and
likelihood of such activities as parenthood,
cohabitation, marriage, divorce, remarriage, and
grandparent co‐residence.
FATHERING
• A person enters fatherhood when they become a
father. This most commonly happens when their child
is born, but it can also happen through adoption or by
marrying or becoming a partner to someone with
children. Fatherhood is a gender-specific version of
the term parenthood. As a father you have to make up
your mind about what the word “fathering” means to
you. It’s a decision and a commitment, as a father,
you have to be physically and mentally be there as
much as you can and as much as the child needs it
while your child is growing up.
CAREGIVING AND DOMESTIC ROLES
• Being a Good Dad Means Being an Equal Caregiver.
The role of the parent is to provide encouragement,
support, and access to activities that enable the child
to master key developmental tasks. A child's learning
and socialization are most influenced by their family
since the family is the child's primary social group.
Happy parents raise happy children. Through almost
every studied culture, fathers have assumed three
primary roles. The protector, the provider, and the
disciplinarian.
MASCULINITIES, ALCOHOL, AND DRUG USE
More men drink than women; and men drink more than
women (Room et al. 2002).
Studies show that men were more likely to drink than women,
drank alcohol in greater quantity and more frequently than
women, and were more likely to face alcohol-related health
and social problems than women (Wilsack et al. 2000).
In many settings, men's drinking encourages solidarity and
stimulates courage. It is a key peer group ritual as well as
being a recreational activity (Coombs & Globetti, 1986).
When men become drunk, fights and homicides are
rationalized (Pange, 1998), and women are encouraged to
tolerate men's drunkenness as a natural part of their being men
(Caetano, 1984).
Drug use and drug dealing can serve as ways of constructing a
powerfully masculine identity (Collision 1996).
PROTEST MASCULINITY
Protest Masculinity is a form of marginalized masculinity
which picks up themes of hegemonic masculinity in the
society at large but reworks them in a context of poverty
(Connel, 2005). In other words, it is akin to hegemonic
masculinity but in socially-deprived contexts.
Protest masculinity refers to describe instances of extreme
forms of sex-typed behavior on the part of some males. Key to
the concept of protest masculinity are high levels of physical
aggression. The protest masculinity profile is also proposed as
including destructiveness, low tolerance for delay of
gratification, crime, drinking, and similar dispositions (Braude
1990).
Protest masculinity is often a product of narcissism built from
deep feelings of powerlessness and insecurity. Connell
compares it to a "tense, freaky façade, making a claim to
power where there are no real resources for power" (Connell
1995).
CARING MASCULINITY
The emergence of caring masculinities in many parts of the
world has been assessed in several reports since the early
2000s, all of them highlighting the virtuous impact of this
reshape in male identities and practices for gender equality
improvements in societies (Connell 2003; Norwegian Ministry
for Children and Equality 2009; Scambor et al. 2013; Levtov
et al. 2015; Heilman et al. 2017; Santos et al. 2016; Wall et al.
2017).
After decades of women demanding equal rights and
opportunities and for the end of male domination and its
harmful costs in their lives, caring masculinities arise as a
strong ally against hegemonic masculinity.
The concept of a caring masculinity proposes that men are
able to adopt what is viewed as traditionally feminine
characteristics example nito is yung emotional expression,
sensitivity, domestication,interdependence, caring, etc.
without departing from or rejecting masculinity (Elliott 2015;
Miller 2011).
Caring masculinities can be seen as masculine identities that
exclude domination and embrace the affective, relational,
emotional, and interdependent qualities of care; a critical form
of men's engagement in gender equality because doing care
work requires men to resist hegemonic masculinity and to
adopt values and characteristics of care that are antithetical to
hegemonic masculinity (Elliot 2016).

So, besides the commitment to care work and gender equality,

caring masculinities entail a mindful refusal of hegemonic
masculinity and inherent prerogatives (privileges, domination,
power), as well as of the plural manifestations of "complicit
masculinity" that it assumes (Aboim 2010).

Men who approximate this form of masculinity are viewed as

a form of "new man" (Edley and Wetherell 1999; Smith 2016;
Singleton and Maher 2004).